The Penn's Grove record., 1887-08-20
HIS MATCH.

hNNlJ OOu1 DdiO blGhk OlRAAANo a.
was crazy to think of marrying Hector
Hunter. In the first place he was too
I'D. Tie was thirty-6ve and Orphies
only eighteen.) In the next he was a
widower with four children; (Orphies
being an only child was unused to chill
iren;) and lastyl, he was the crossest-
grained, most misery man that ever
existed. Every one In Hillswood knew
him. They knew he had been the
means of his wife's finding an early
grave; and now he wanted to break
Orphies' heart; pretty, dimpled, brown
Eyed Orphies, the pride of the village,
and the admiration of all.
How she came to choose a surly,
Iel6sh man like Hector Hunter was a
wonder to everybody. 1t was well
known that blue-eyed, sunny-faced
Charlie Chester stood ready to lay down
his life for her sake, and that James
Singleton had offered himself at least
three times. Either would have been
considered a good match, and yet 1t
was quite evident that Hector Hunter
a the man she loved, as she had been
known to watch beside him day and
night when he was i'll, and refuse all
food till she was sur he was out of
LANCER.
Yes, Orphies did love him. She was
engaged to him, too, and that sunny
morning in June was to witness her
bridal, She was to be married In the
little church where she had been bap.
tized, in the presence of those who had
known and loved her from a child. So
what was really nobody's business was
everybody's business, and proved the
topic of conversation throughout the
entire village. All her girl friends
pitied her; all her male a~cquaintances
envied Hector Hunter. All the ma
irons bewailed her fate; all the sires
limited that the bridegroom was a lucky
Finally came the organ peals, then
the solemn seryice-for 1t was solemn
and then pretty Orphies went down
the aisle leaning on the arm Of her
sour-looking husband as smilingly as
If her path was Strewn with roses, and
her future as clear as a lake at even,
when the glory of the setting sun rests
upon its bosom.
81 can't afford to take a wedding
trip, Orphies," Mr.. Hunter had said
the night he slipped the engagement
ring en- her finger, and listened to the
shy ''yes'' whispered under the apple
tree which grew back Of her pleasant
home. sit costs a good deal to 1--we
nowadays. The children need clothes,
and twill take a five dollar bull right
out OF my pocket to pay the minister.
You won't care, will your You had
sitof 90 onop coftln dnnyp no q oonoihIo
woman, hadn't your That's the way
my first wife did,"
And Orphies said ''yes, she'd do
anything he liked, " like the dear little
thing she was. So as loon as her gray
haired pastor had made her Mrs. Hec-
tor Hunter. she walked quietly across
the village common to the large, gloomy
looking house built on Its edge, and
closed the door in the faces of those
looking after her with a world Of COM
miseration in their eyes.
s'She1l regret this act OF hearn, or
my name isn't Miranda Highfyer,"
sand n narrow-minded spinster to
another.
"Shem look like a wilted rose by the
time she has lived three weeks with
those children" said Miss Dean, the
village dressmaker, to her customer,
Mrs. Flint. ~ know all about them.
l once made a dress for the first Mrs.
Hunter, and / had a grand chance to
see some OF their actions"
We've lost pretty Orphies forever"
SAID gray-haired Farmer Slocum.
Crude hands have picked our sweet.
brlar rose, and there is none other SO
falr."
I'VE are going to have Orphies
French for a stepmother," said the
Hunter children, pressing up to the
window which commanded q view OF
Hillswood common and church. ''She's
awful pretty, but it's q mystery how
she ever came to marry father"
"You know the young folks so well,
Orphies, that there is no need Of an
introduction" said Mr.. Hunter, as his
young bride kissed one rosy face after
another, and sat down In his dead
wlfe's rocking chair with the youngest
on her knee. when you are rested
we will 60 over the house and take a
look at things; then we will have some
dinner. l dismissed the h~ousekeeper
to-day, as / knew We should not need
her after you came. Her month was
up, and a. a penny saved is a penny
earned, 1 let her 60. Rosa Belle is
large enough to help you about the
house. She is fifteen, and as tall as you
are l guess you'll pull together
drst-rate."
Pretty Orphies looked at her step
daughter Questioningly.
81 hope So" she said, quietly.
Eyes" kissing her, 81 am sure we
SHALL"
That kiss won Rosa Belle.
Arthur" she said to her twelve
year-old brother the moment the door
closed behind her new mother, take
heart. / do believe there Is q change
coming. The second Mrs. Hunter is
very sweet and smiling, but / shouldn't
be surprised II father had found his